Can Vegetables Cause Constipation?

Marie Dannie
|
Reviewed By:
Divesh Goel
|
on December 9, 2018

About the Reviewer:

Divesh Goel

Divesh Goel is a young physician that has served in multiple hospitals and communities throughout the United States of America. Having completed his Medical Doctorate, he worked on various research endeavors focused on a wide range of topics such as mental health, substance abuse, patient health literacy, physician cultural competency, and patient-physician ethnic disparities. Dr. Goel is passionate about individual and public health advocacy. Currently, he is writing and editing health and nutrition articles to foster the intent of raising public health awareness with easily accessible, straightforward, evidence-based topics.

About the Author:

Marie Dannie

Marie Dannie has been a professional journalist since 1991, specializing in nutrition and health topics. She has written for "Woman‚Äôs Own," the "Daily Mail," the "Daily Mirror" and the "Telegraph." She is a registered nutritionist and holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in food science from the University of Nottingham.

Vegetables make up an important part of a healthy diet, with a recommended intake of 2 to 3 cups per day for all adults. One of the primary health benefits of vegetables is their high dietary fiber content. However, this refers to vegetables that have not been juiced, as this process degrades fiber and its benefits.

It's not so much the type of vegetables but the amount that can cause constipation.
(Image: Caiaimage/Adam Gault/Caiaimage/GettyImages)

While dietary fiber can help relieve constipation, too much dietary fiber too quickly can cause constipation, as can insufficient water. This can make it seem like some vegetables cause constipation, rather than help relieve the ailment. The higher the fiber content in vegetables, the greater your chance of constipation if you are not used to a high-fiber diet.

Tip

Certain types of vegetables in and of themselves aren't necessarily the cause of constipation. But if you're not used to a high-fiber diet, than eating lots of vegetables can lead to constipation, especially if you're not drinking enough water.

What Is Constipation?

Constipation is known as either infrequent bowel movements, or bowel movements that produce stools that are hard, dry, small and difficult to pass, often causing pain. Other symptoms of constipation include bloating and pain in the belly.

While you might think that regular bowel movements means once a day, constipation is defined by the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse as less than three bowel movements a week. A diet high in dietary fiber can help relieve the symptoms of constipation, as well as possibly prevent it.

Dietary Fiber and Vegetables

Vegetables are naturally high in dietary fiber, containing both soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which can help with relieving constipation, although suddenly eating many more vegetables can lead to constipation.

Vegetables that are especially high in fiber include most legumes, such as lima beans and lentils, as well as spinach. Vegetables that are good sources of fiber are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onions and sweet potatoes.

If you're only starting to increase your vegetable intake, do so gradually, as too much fiber at once can be hard for your system to process, making your constipation worse. Cooking vegetables softens their fiber content, making them easier to digest than raw vegetables for those who are unused to a diet high in dietary fiber.

Soluble vs. Insoluble Fiber

Both types of fiber help relieve different elements of constipation, the first softening the stools, and the second promoting regularity in bowel movements. Vegetables contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, and a diet high in vegetables — half your plate at each meal — will help you naturally increase your dietary fiber intake.

Hydration and Fiber

To ensure eating vegetables helps relieve or prevent constipation rather than causing it, you need enough fluid intake throughout the day. This is especially important in the case of soluble fiber, as it absorbs water.